Buckle



Patented Apr. I8, |899.

M. W. LYNCH.

BUCKLE (Application filed Apr. 16, 1898.)

(No Model TN: Norms PETERS co. PNoTaurHQ. wAsmNcnoN, 'v c.

NTTnD STATES PATENT Ormea.

MATTHEW lV. LYNCH, OF MADISON, VISOQNSIN.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,252, dated April 18, 1899.

Application filed April 16, 1898.

To @ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, MATTHEW W. LYNCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Madison, in the county of Dane and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

This invention relates to improvements inbuckles such as are designed for application to straps, and more especially straps of webbing or material which is not adapted to be perforated for the passage of a holding-tongu e, although features of the invention are applicable to ordinary buckles of any approved type.

The invention has for its objects, first, to provide an improved construction of buckleframe and holding-tongue whereby the webbing or strap is held with a iirm grip against slipping, and, secondly, to provide a buckle which may be readily and conveniently locked in its closed position, so as to prevent any movement of the strap therethrough until the tongue is released by means of a key or like appliance.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a buckle constructed in accordance with my present invention, showing the webbing in light dotted lines to prevent obscurity. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation showing the preferred form of the buckle-frame and locking-tongue. Fig. 3 is a section taken through substantially the center of the buckle in a plane parallel with Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a bottom planview; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal section through the tongue, showing the locking-bolt in its locked position in full lines andin its. retracted position in dotted lines.

Like letters of reference in the several iigures indicate thesame parts.

The letter A indicates the strap, and B a cross-bar ou the buckle-frame around which one end of said strap is secured in the usual manner. Y

B are the side bars of the buckle-frame,

Serial No. 677,868 (No model.)

and at a point preferably in front of the crossbar B a second cross-bar'B2 is provided to serve as the pintle for the tongue C. At the front end a third cross-bar B3 is provided, having a concave inner surface and preferably of such conformation that its lower edge b3 will project inwardly somewhat farther than its upper edge b2. The tongue C, before referred to, 4is preferably formed by a wide fiat piece of metal having suitable eyes at the rear end embracing the pintle B2 and serrated or toothed at c along its front edge. In order to arrest the movement of the tongue and prevent it from passing way through the buckle-frame when no webbing is present, I provide stops or lugs b4 on the inner side of each of the side bars B, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. When the strap 'has been passed through the buckle-frame and the tongue turned against the same, there will be awedging action between the edge of the tongue and concave front cross-bar B3, which will afford a firm grip upon the strap, increasing in pressure as the tongue is drawn downwardly by pressure or strain on the strap by reason of the fact that the lower edge of the cross-bar B3 projects inwardly farther than the upper portion of said cross-bar. With this arrangement strain upon the strap will not cause it to release, inasmuch as the tongue cannot move past the lower edge of the cross-bar B3, and the strap will be caused to make a sharp bend over said edge. The upper edge of the concave cross-bar offers a slight resistance to the passage of the tongue when the webbing is between them. Consequently when the edge of the tongue is within the concave-the strap will not fall open even though no strain is on it, an obvious advantage, as the strap may be held with the ends together, although loose on the article (such as a trunk) about which it is passed.

Buckles as thus constructed are especially Well adapted for use in connection with webbing straps upon trunks or the like, although their use is not confined to the same; but in order to provide a buckley with an efficient and convenient form of locking mechanism to hold the tongue in its closed position until intentionally released by the use of a key or fi, containing divided like appliance I provide the tongue on its under face or surface with a housing F for the reception of a locking bolt or bolts which will when moved laterally engage the side bars of the frame and prevent the tongue from-moving to its open position. In the preferred construction (see Fig. 5) the housing F is provided with a transverse channel or guideway` for the reception of a sliding bol-t G, which, moving in one direction, will pass under an elevated portion II of one of the side bars of the buckle-frame, and in order to equalize the strain a pivoted bolt G is mounted at the opposite end of said channel and is adapted to be projected by the forward motion of the sliding bolt G. As a convenient means for securing this simultaneous movement in opposite directions the sliding bolt G is provid ed with an inclined pin g, which passes through a slot or recess g in the rearwardly-extending end G2 of the pivoted bolt G. The inclined pin striking the walls ofthe recess g' will cause the bolt Gl to move in or out simultaneously with the in or out movement of the sliding bolt G. The bolt G' passes beneath an elevated portion H on the opposite side of the buckle-frame, and thus the pressure upon the tongue and frame, should any strain tending to throw the tongue in to open position be brought to bear, will be equalized and no distortion occasioned.

The principle upon which the locking-bolt is held in its extended position is preferably the divided-pin or Yale principle, and to carry this into effect the sliding bolt G is slotted longitudinally at I for the reception of a key or like appliance, and arranged transversely to said sliding bolt are pin-chambers pins t" and projectingsprings i2.

The pin-channels register when the bolt is extended or projected. Thus when the key is inserted the first movement brings the division-lines between the pins into registry with the edge of the sliding bolt, and upon a further inward thrust of the key the bolt itself is forced back and the tongue freed, when it can be thrown out of engagement with the strap in the well-known manner.

To facilitate the projection of the lockingbolts when' the tongue is closed, I preferably form a slot K in the face of the tongue immediately over the sliding bolt and provide said bolt with a pin or knob L, projecting up through said slot K into positionto be pushed in either` direction by the nger or otherwise, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secu re by Letters Patent of the United States of America, is

l. In a buckle, the combination with the buckleframe, having the front cross-bar provided with a wide inner face and with its lower edge projecting inwardly a greater distance than its upper edge, of a wide fiat tongue pivotally mounted in said buckle-frame at its rear end and adapted to work down into a plane intermediate the top and bottom edges of the front cross-bar; substantially as described.

2. In a buckle, the combination with the buckle-frame having the cross-bar at its front end and provided with a concave inner face, the lower edge of which projects inwardly a greater distance than the upper edge, of a wide lat tongue pivotally mounted in the rear end of said buckle-frame and lugs or stops for arresting the downward movement of said tongue in a plane intermediate the top and bottom edges of the front cross-bar; substantially as described.

3. In a buckle, the combination with the buckle-frame, of a tongue pi votally mounted in said buckle-frame, oppositely-movinglocking-bolts mounted on said tongue and connected for simultaneous movement in opposite directions, tumblers for holding said bolts projected and a keyhole for the insertion of akey to release said tumblers; substantially as described.

4t. In a buckle, the combination with the buckle-frame having the cross-bars at front and rear thereof, and lockingbolt recesses in its side-bars, of the tongue pivotally mounted on the rear cross-bar, the transversely-slidin g lockingbolt mounted in the tongue, tumblers for holding said bolt extended and a slot formed longitudinally in said bolt for the in, sertion of ,a key to release they tumblers and retract the bolt; substantially as described.

5. In a lock-buckle, the combination with the frame the tongue pivotally mounted therea on, and having the transverse channels therein, of the sliding locking-bolt working in said channel and adapted to cooperate with one side of Athe frame to hold the tongue in its locked position, a pivoted locking-bolt mounted in said tongue and adapted to cooperate with the opposite side of the frame and in clined bearings on said sliding bolt and pivoted bolt respectively, adapted to cooperate and produce a simultaneous movement of said bolts in opposite directions; substantially as described.

6. In a lock-buckle, the combination with the bucklelframe and tongue pivotally` mounted therein, and having the transverse locking-bolt channel, of the sliding lockingbolt working in said channel and adapted to cooperate with one side-of the'buckle-frame, a pivoted locking-bolt mounted in said tongue and adapted to cooperate with the opposite side of the buckle-frame, an inclined pin on the sliding bolt and a slot for the reception of said pin in the rear end of the pivoted bolt whereby said bolts are caused to move in opposite directions simultaneously; substan-y tially'as described.

7. In a lock-buckle, the combination with the buckleframe having the front and rear cross-bars and side bars with elevated portions intermediate the front and rear cross- IOO IIO

bars, of L tongue pivoted on the rear erossblers and permitting the bolts to be retract bar and oppositely moving locking bolts ed; substantially as described. mounted on the tongue and adapted to prof ject beneath the elevated portions of the side MATTHEW W' L NCH' 5 bars, to lock the tongue in its closed position; Witnesses:

tumblers for holding said locking-bolts pro- CHAs. G. RILEY, j eeted and it keywty for releasing said tum W. A. MORRIS. 

